Al-Azhar University

Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt, rooted in a mosque and teaching institution founded in the tenth century. It combines Islamic studies with programs in fields including medicine, engineering, and science.

Al-Azhar Mosque: A historic mosque in Cairo that became the center of Al-Azhar's teaching and religious life. The university developed from the mosque's teaching institution.
Grand Imam of al-Azhar: The senior religious leader of Al-Azhar, who heads its scholarly institution and represents it publicly. The office gives Al-Azhar a visible center of religious leadership.
Al-Azhar University Faculty of Medicine: A medical school within Al-Azhar University that trains physicians and conducts medical research. It exemplifies the university's expansion beyond religious disciplines.
Cairo University: A public university in Giza, founded in 1908, with faculties across the sciences, humanities, and professions. It is a major Egyptian peer without Al-Azhar's religious institutional role.
Fatimid Caliphate: A Shi'a Ismaili caliphate that ruled parts of North Africa and the Middle East from 909 to 1171. The Fatimid dynasty founded Cairo and established Al-Azhar.
Al-Azhar Senior Scholars Authority: A council of senior scholars that addresses religious and institutional matters within Al-Azhar. Its collective deliberation complements the Grand Imam's leadership.
Al-Azhar University Faculty of Engineering: An engineering school within Al-Azhar University offering technical and professional education. Its programs illustrate Al-Azhar's role in secular higher education.
Zaytuna University: A Tunisian university rooted in a historic mosque and known for Islamic and Arabic scholarship. It offers a North African comparison for mosque-based higher learning.
Jawhar al-Siqilli: A Fatimid general who founded Cairo in 969 and supervised the construction of Al-Azhar Mosque. His building program created the mosque from which the university emerged.
Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism: An Al-Azhar initiative that monitors extremist discourse and produces responses in multiple languages. It shows how the institution applies scholarship to contemporary public debates.

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